A 10,300 km by road with a dog on your lap . Traveling to us, is a way of distancing our minds from the rigors of every day life, so we can enter into a new way of seeing things. 

We planned for it in the last three weeks. We had landed in Canada to visit family and with a dream of being on the road. The Gods themselves must have done the planning, as we ended up with a van, found the perfect trailer that we up did and we set off to the chimes of the temple bells.

 

No planned itinerary. “To travel is to take a journey into yourself,” Danny Kaye's quote speaks to so many of us with wanderlust. There is an excitement being in open, sleeping under the stars and in letting the days unravel as they may.  

Toronto to Vancouver, Vancouver to Oregon, Oregon to Mexico and onwards to Guatemala and the long return.

The Natural beauty of Canadian lands  leaves you in awe. When we entered the Algonquin parks, Ramu (our dog) became perfectly still. As though he was in commune with the spirits of the wild. The snow was still fresh, and little creeks opened up to reflect trees. There were times I could hardly adjust my eyes, wanting to take it all in. It is impossible to describe.  

I loved being on the road. He loved being on the road. Ramu loved being on the road.

There was never a night where we struggled to find a place to rest. National parks,  corners of winding roads that lead to nowhere, high hill tops that woke you up dawn, motor way rest stops, Walmart parking lots which  is official and casino parking lots (which we learnt of along the way).

In spite of our initial reservation to travel through America, we came to love every place for something different. I was totally surprised by the beauty of the country and the sweetness of the people.
The cascading mountains, the smell of the earth's rainy crust, the pines of the forest. Red orange sands that meet the bluest of skies. Stones softly rounded nestling into each other and compressed earth forming intricate patterns from the beaten sun.

We were astounded by the diverging landscapes. How the country simply stretches out over mountains and marshes, deserts and lakes. One minute you were amidst wind carved stone sculptures that whirled up to kiss the skies and the next minute you were running across green picturesque meadows speckled with croaking frogs. We saw sequoia trees that rise up to infinity and ancient red wood trees that were long and sprawling. Each telling a thousand tales.

Florescent green, unfurls throughout the nature parks. It was surreal. Ramu would often howl waving his head about in sheer pleasure. Being amongst it all was a humbling experience. So delicate and yet so strong, so old and yet so alive

We sold the trailer before entering Mexico. Mexico felt home. Each stop keeping you  longer and longer. Mazunte , was where it happened. A midst the laughter of friends and little patter of children's feet. The heart finally screamed out, the tears kept rolling , a deep desperation  surfaced; a longing for a child.   A seed was planted. 

Two months later we drove down the volcanic path and into Guatemala. 
We were happy to be there, happy to breathe it all in and happy to see the transformation taking place, directing  to what would become the next chapter of our lives.

Mexico , Guatemala. Then the big journey back.
A new Chapter begins.

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